Open Collections

Park, Joon Hee

Haenyeo are female free divers who have harvested resources from the bottom of the sea since the 17th century in Jeju Island. Their matrifocal, communal, and sustainable traditions are rooted in a deep understanding of reciprocity and the rhythm of more than human entities. However, Haenyeo culture currently faces endangerment due to aging and decreasing population, as well as dwindling ocean resources caused by global warming and pollution. Yet, current institutional efforts to safeguard the living culture often confine Haenyeo to stereotypical images such as the “Korean Mermaid” and “Strong Mother,” perpetuating patriarchal and colonial frameworks that otherize, ossify, and homogenize Haenyeo culture. This project speculates on an alternative perspective and ways to continue the living culture of Haenyeo. The project explores the material ecology of Sea Urchins – one of the key marine resources harvested by Haenyeo – and intertidal zones to propose a new ritual of coexistence and cyclical interventions aimed at rectifying the shortcomings of existing cultural encounters in museums and tourist attractions embedded in extractive practices.

Text

University of British Columbia. ARCH 549

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0442281

Applied Science, Faculty of; Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/